Sunshine_Coast

Canada

The Powell River area offers such spectacular diving, and Dinner Rock is no exception.  Basic campground facilities are available, so take a couple of tanks and plan on spending the evening.

Drive 4.5km South of Lund, or 15.5km North of the Powell River bridge, then turn Southwest on Dinner Rock Road.  The preceding roads you'll encounter from Lund are Malaspina, then Dinner Rock.  The preceding roads you'll encounter from Powell River are Wilde, Southview, Gifford, Atrevida, Craig, Emmonds, then Dinner Rock.

Dinner Rock

This is a great Wreck/Wall combo dive ! It will accommodate all divers AOW and above plus Tech/CCR divers will get to play on site that much longer. Tie up to the buoy and follow it down to the plaque that is displayed on the stern of the ship. Follow the ship towards the bow and, if the visibility is good, you should start to make out the wall of Dinner Rock. This is not an artificial reef but an actual vessel that ran aground in 1947.

To get to the wreck of the MV Gulfstream, you will need a boat. It is just south of Lund, B.C. Canada. This dive site is easily accessed on the south side of Dinner Rock and there is a mooring buoy to tie up to. My suggestion would be to go with a charter out of Comox/Courtenay as there are many other sites within reach and can be combined in a multi dive trip.


MV Gulfstream is also known as Dinner Rock wreck.

MV Gulfstream

Enter on the south side of the jetty.  The jetty itself has a lot of small invertebrates and fish, but the most interesting stuff is the two small wrecks located south of the jetty.  The easiest way to find the wrecks is to swim south from the jetty and keep yourself in water ~30' deep.  Both wrecks lie between 30-40', and the slope is steep enough here that following the depth contour will take you straight to both wrecks.  There is little current in the area, but lots of boat traffic.

From Powell River, head north on highway 101 towards Lund.  About 5km before Lund is a turnoff for Okover Provincial Park (Malispina Road).  Turn right (east) onto this road and follow it to the park.  The best diving is by the jetty found just south of the wharf.

Okeover Provincial Park

There are two very easy dives at the Beach Garden, one to the left and one to the right of the marina.  These protected entries are perfect for the beginner, and the breakwaters offer an ideal location to check out new gear and have a relaxing dive.

From the ferry terminal at Saltery Bay, the entrance is 26km to the North on 101, just South of Powell River.

Beach Garden Resort

 Once at dive site and you have brought your gear down to the water you can suite up and enter facing west. There can be a good exchange, so be aware of the tides and currents for the location and time of day. This is a good place for a first time current dive and also there's lots to see. (Kelp, fish of all kinds, swimming scallops, seals, maybe an otter or two if your very lucky !) Depending on time of year the visibility can be either great or terrible, ask the locals or a dive shop for info. This is a good first time current, kelp, shore type dive for the new divers and those who have been away for a bit. It's all good when you go get wet !!

Quathiaski Cove is the commercial hub and point of arrival for the regular ferry service between Campbell River on Vancouver Island and Quadra Island. To get to the site you will have to travel off the ferry to Green rd then follow left until Pidcock rd. Once on Pidcock follow until Anderson (going north) and then left on to Old Ferry Road. Follow till the end and park. There is a bit of a hike to the water but very doable. 

Quathiaski Cove is also known as Q-Cove, Old Ferry landing.

Quathiaski Cove

Great current, wall dive. Lots of fish, Sea pens, Anemones, Nudibranch, Puget Sound King Crab, Octopus .... the list goes on. You may even be visited by Pacific White sided dolphins, Porpoises (Dall's and Harbour) or Orca's.
Better vis during the fall,winter (100 ft plus) but can be done
in the summer( vis 15 to 25 ft)during the algae bloom. Nothing quite like being at 70 to 80 ft with a wall on one side and the current carrying you along as if you are flying. 

 Be aware that this is in the Campbell River area and the current and or exchange can be drastic in nature. Go with an experienced guide or Dive charter to ensure that you are going in at the proper time. There is the possibility that the currents can take you deeper then anticipated and that's why I recommend AOW experience. There's lots to see above 60 feet but you should have experience with drift,deep, and wall diving. 


Boat dive off of April Point Lodge, Quadra Island. Not for first time divers as you must know when to put in for a dive with current. Go with a reputable Dive charter or knowledgable locals. Should use a depth finder to locate pinnicle off shore from the lodge, go in at 20 feet and follow on out side moving southeast. 

April Point

For some spectacular diving in some very clear water, try Octopus City.  The point offers a good chance to see the namesake.  Take a couple of tanks to explore the long coast line out to the point.

From the ferry terminal at Saltery Bay, the entrance is less than 3km to the North on 101.

This dive site is actually the Saltery Bay Boat Launch. Just enter the water, and turn right to explore Octopus City.

Octopus City (Saltery Bay Boat Launch)

Far more boulders and formations than Octo City and far more life.  Really a much nicer dive than Octo city and almost guaranteed a big Octo or two.

This dive site is actually the Saltery Bay Boat Launch. Just enter the water, and turn left (south to about 100' at average tide) to explore Octopus Ghetto.

Octopus Ghetto is also known as Saltery Bay Boat Launch South.

Octopus Suburbs

Great drift dive on a wall, lots of fish, use a live catch boat , curents can increase rapidly



Steep Island

This sight is best dove at slack tide. But well worth it given the abundance of life, and especially the thousands of Strawberry Anemones that coat many of the rocks and boulders.

This dive site can only be accessed by boat. Use the GPS coordinates based on Google Earth or charter a dive with a local dive boat.

Copper Cliffs

The HMCS Columbia was a destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1959-1974. She was removed from reserve status in 1988 and sunk as an artificial reef off Maud Island in British Columbia in 1996.

 This is a good first time deep or wreck dive as the stern is shallow (70 - 80 feet or so dependant on tide) and the bow is 115 ft down to the muck. There are 3 bouys to tie up to and they are kept in good repair throughout the year. 
 There is lots of life on this wreck, large lingcod, octopus (look in the vent stacks near the open bridge)greenlings, rock cod, sea pens, anenomes of all sizes....... the list goes on. 
 Great for a night dive as it's in a sheltered area and if the visibility is good; the ship appearing out of the dark is a fantastic sight. 
 For more info on this wreck go to :  http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/
and check out the video in the gallery. This site also lists other artificial reefs in the Vancouver Island area.

Best access is by boat out of Campbell River. The wreck of the HMCS Columbia is in about 110 feet of water and marked by 3 buoys, one at its stern, which is the North end of the wreck, one amidship and one on the bow. Decend down the Northern buoy line to reach the stern. 

HMCS Columbia is also known as Wreck behind Maud Island.

HMCS Columbia

Woohooo  [We think that means he likes it? - Editor]

Dinner Rock

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Dinner Rock